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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · pass · nail · chest · season · last

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. last — to go on
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. last — final
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chest — a box
  17. last — finally
  18. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com